My Softer Side by Dyann Woody

Artists can take a real chance when they switch categories. It is not always the best of ideas and they can sometimes get lost in a world they may like, but not really do very well. That however is not a problem for Dyanne Woody, as evidenced on her CD My Softer Side from Dynamike Records. Originally a country singer, Woody made the switch from "yee haw" to "ooh la la" after hearing Norah Jones and she makes the transition with a singular grace and style. The composer of ten out of the 13 selections on the recording, she displays a wide range of emotion and shows that she is a musical force to be reckoned with.

"Someone Who's Real," the opening track, starts out with a real honky-tonk-type piano riff and Woody does the song with a semi-lighthearted style. Her vocals compliment the piano playing of Barry Walsh perfectly. She has one of those voices that have a very distinct sound to it. It floats on the music created by her band mates, but do not be deceived. It has a depth and a bite to it that makes the selections resonant with the listener.

"To Get Over Me" has a bossa nova feel to it and it gently flows back and forth and when layered with Woody's heartfelt vocals it is a warm and passionate number. "Crazy 'Round Here" is an emotional ballad that again features Walsh on piano and you can hear every moment of the heartbreak. It is also one of those numbers where her country training pays off. Her voice soars with just the right amount of feeling. "Will You Ever Come Home" and "Broken Hearts Make Beautiful Songs" are two selections that go together well and tell of the price of a broken heart. You can hear the rough edges of a lover's frayed heart in every note.

The blues get a representation here on "My Softer Side." This number is the other side of hurt, the side that we all have after going through an emotional breakup. It is one that everybody can relate to. "All You Gotta Say" has a gentle swing to it. A nice 40's-era sound, the kind that the big bands of the day would have played.

There is still a bit of the country girl here especially on "All That Love Can Do," an up tempo song that is a nod to her roots in the award winning country band the Woodys. The album closes out with the inspirational "On The Horizon." Here Woody really gives her voice a chance to take flight, bringing to close an album you will find yourself listening to time and time again.